Bluetooth on an Airplane?

bblazer asks: "Since I travel quite a lot, I am very familiar with the warnings about cell phone use on an airplane (could be bunk, but I still respect it and those around me). But what about using Bluetooth? I just got off an Alaska Airlines flight where the flight attendant said that we were not permitted to use any device that sends or receives a radio signal. I often use the bluetooth features of my PowerBook and Treo while onboard a plane (you can have the Treo on without having the cell phone on), or I set up a mini-network with others I may be traveling with. Could Bluetooth cause any problems, or is this something I need not worry about?"

There's no danger

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm on an airplane right now, over the Atlantic. Sure, THE MAN doesn't want you to turn on your devices because he thinks they will interfere with flight electronics, but you know better right?

In fact I think I'll turn on my PDA and hook it up with my powerbook via bluetooth right now, just to show them how it's done.

There, see? I'm still here! Still humming along! Plane didn't fall out of the sky!

Y'know, I don't remember the ocean being so

The Real Reason Why Phones Are Banned On Planes

[nathanh]

It has nothing to do with "interference" with the electronic systems on the plane. Rather it's a social engineering trick. You see, when you're at 10,000 feet all the mobiles are out of reception range. So any calls or SMS are temporarily diverted to voicemail or messagebank. When the plane lands, suddenly every phone is in reception and all the stored voicemails and SMS flood through to every mobile on the plane. Simultaneously every mobile starts that stupid BEEP BEEP BEEP noise that lets you know about your stored messages. Imagine 700 mobiles all going BEEP BEEP BEEP in unison! It's enough to drive you mad. The flight attendants got pissed off at the noise and cleverly invented this cock and bull story about "interference". Now the mobiles are turned off until you reach the baggage claim area where everybody turns on their mobile phones and annoys the baggage claim attendants instead. You see, the flight attendants have this secret war going on with the hated baggage claim attendants; you and your mobile phones are merely pawns in their devious mind games. Muahahaha.

Re:Wrong place for such question

[Anonymous Coward]

Because they'll obviously say that you shouldn't use Bluetooth on the plane, and we don't want that answer.

You should...

[Grounded0]

...take this [neisg.org] into consideration. :-)

yeh?

[Anonymous Coward]

I often use the bluetooth features of my PowerBook and Treo while onboard a plane

So why are you asking us NOW? You could have crashed long ago!

Re:Yes it could cause problems.

[RevAaron]

Well, I work in the industry too, and guess what? Farting at the wrong time can cause a huge catastrophy. So, obviously, our gentle readers should believe me over you and the grandparent!